The town on Long Lake in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is Lake-town.
Lake-town, also called Esgaroth, is a settlement built on wooden platforms over the water of Long Lake. Its position makes it an important trading community between the lands around the Lonely Mountain and regions farther south. The town is governed by a Master rather than by a hereditary king.
Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield’s company reach Lake-town after escaping the Elvenking’s halls in barrels. The townspeople initially welcome Thorin because he claims descent from the former kings under the Mountain. Their hopes collapse when Smaug attacks the settlement after hearing Bilbo speak about the Dwarves’ return.
Bard, a captain of Lake-town, kills Smaug and later becomes the ruler of restored Dale. Lake-town is not the same place as Dale: Dale is the nearby city that is rebuilt after the dragon’s death, while Lake-town is destroyed by the attack.